Allen Edmonds Appreciation Thread - reviews, pictures, sizing, etc...

[NWTeal]



I am a professor of anatomy and physiology. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of bone and can tell you all about the molecular structure, etc. I can also assure you that bone does not have any oils to transfer. Any oils one might see when boning are being squeezed from the cordovan.

Aren't the bones used in shoe care oil infused after the fact?

 

[kwhitelaw]

Aren't the bones used in shoe care oil infused after the fact?

I'd imagine. the bone I got from hangar project recently definitely left the pair of shells I used it on with an oily substance. I cant see it being brought up out of the shell with how little force I applied.

 

[WICaniac]

I think I'm unsubscribing from this thread for a bit. I've spent way too much money on shoes lately and think I'm in a good place as far as what I own goes.

I went to the CH and AE stores today, but ended up getting a pair of much cheaper Aldo black boots. For now, I think I'm happy with my one pair of AE daltons. When I start interviews for medical school next year, I'll probably pick up a pair of AE Park avenue's for interviews. Maybe they'll have a shaker height in black by then. For now, I think I'm good. You guys rubbed off on me in the sense that I'm not the biggest fan of black shoes, so skimping on those was a good idea for me for now.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll probably pop in every now and then and then have to wipe the drool off my keyboard

Pick something comfortable - you're going to be on your feet all day during the interview - the Rockports are good for that. I've found very little use for black captoe bals in medical school, I just think they're too formal for clinic-wear and you won't have time to do much in terms of evening banquets and such.

Most of the people on SF (or regulars on this thread with a fetish for MTOs, at least) would never consider them, but the Fenways may be worth considering. As for wanting something in black that isn't usually available in that color, you could do an MTO during the spring sale, getting the shoe you want in any color at 20% off.

My toe comes up to around the red line. I also bought one half a size down with the same width and that feels a lot more natural and snug, but my pinky toe seems to be pushing against the outside of the shoe so I think it will probably start to hurt after wearing it for awhile. For the bigger size, as long as I lace the shoes tightly it doesn't seem to be falling off my foot, but I'm wondering if I should just give up the shoes and wait awhile for another good deal on a size E width. Thanks for your help.

On a lace-up, your toes need not be all the way forward in the shoe. The problem you may encounter, however, is that the shoe will flex in the cap, which doesn't look great and can pinch your toes. I would probably go a half size down and have the shoes stretched to accommodate your pinky toe. AE will do this for free. I had it done on one pair with very good results.



A different issue altogether: why does AE sell pre-tied bow ties and gaudy cummerbunds? We've let go of the discussion on brand prestige, but if anything would diminish my respect for the brand, this would be it.

 

[losrockets]

Thanks to everybody who responded to my comment. Didn't mean to offend any sensibilities w/ my mention of Rockport et al. (All of my shoes are currently AE w/ a pair of Alden on the way) I was just throwing it out there based on personal experience in a similar situation. If you can wear leather sole shoes for extended periods of time without discomfort, go for it!

 

[beyond]

I'd gladly sign that. Even though I don't have a MTO, I do have this:


I have been gone for months, but I wanted to follow up on round 4 of these McAllisters. Here they are made with the new experimental pattern to remove the toe ridge. Proof that it can be done:



The only possible blemish I saw was a particularly wrinkled piece of leather in the lacing, either from weaker leather or just sitting in the box wrong, but after some Reno and lacing them properly, I think it's not a big deal:



Looking forward to wearing these for the first time not-this-but-next weekend at a good friend's wedding!

That's awesome that they agreed on the ridge being an issue. I noticed the ridge on my AE's wingtip models. It's great to see that AE is doing things to change this.

Thanks for being the catalyst for this change!

 

[GOP Shoe Guy]

Aren't the bones used in shoe care oil infused after the fact?

That is what I understand. Otherwise, I know enough hunters, that I could just get them to harvest this deer bone for me, and I would sell them to all of you and make a fortune... They are infused, they aren't just a deer bone.

I set mine on my desk after I first got it, and a few days it left a couple of oily spots where the bone touched the desk.

 

[wurger]

 
Yeah. They look like blobs. I wasn't going to say anything, but...

yeah me too.  The cap looks waaaaay to short to me...  Makes the shoe look very bulbous.

agreed, not a fan of the toe shape at all, way too short and round.

 

[ridethecliche]

I did try a pair of park avenue's. The salesman told me to size down to an 8E from the 8.5E of my daltons. They fit pretty well, but my heel was coming up. He said that'd go away once the cork bed broke in.

I compared the shoe to the fifth street and I'm not sure how i felt about it. The boot was awesome, but there wasn't much to it in terms of the height. It's just like a chukka in that sense. I wanted something more hefty.

Thanks again for all your help folks. I'll probably be back in a year or so heh.

 

[bespoken pa]

I would be leery of a salesman who said, don't worry it will get better. It's true that with leather soles there is a break in period, even more so with double leather, but the shoes should be comfortable before you leave the store.

 

[tifosi]



I would be leery of a salesman who said, don't worry it will get better. It's true that with leather soles there is a break in period, even more so with double leather, but the shoes should be comfortable before you leave the store.

+1

 

[cbtaylor]

Ralph Lauren Sanderson

 

[tifosi]



Ralph Lauren Sanderson

Spoiler

That is a great looking LWB!

 

[jpjdavid83]

I'm really interested in purchasing my first pair of AE. I hope you guys can help me out with some of my questions.

1. Is the sizing chart in the AE website accurate? I understand that it will always be best if I go to an actual store but in my case that is not possible since AE is not available locally in my country (Philippines). Based on the chart my shoe size is a 9D.

2. I am currently looking at either the Strand or the Mcallister. Any inputs on which I should get first would be highly appreciated. Also since I am a size 9D do I need to size up/down based on these shoe models?

3. If I am going to buy second hand shoes, what are the things that I should look/check out for?

Thanks.

 

[willsgillen]

Hah, thanks for the awesome post.

I actually wear sneakers in surgery. My current job is doing ortho research, so I spend some time in the OR. I'm not on my feet all day, but I wear leather soled shoes most of the time and I'm pretty comfortable in them. I've walked like 5+ miles in them nonstop and haven't had issues.

I definitely appreciate the suggestions. I probably own a couple of pairs of black shoes that'd fit the bill for interviews. I think I've had my fun with the shoe thang for a bit. I'm going to start saving that money for now because interviews and the associated costs are a doozy! I'll probably hit up thrift stores now and then for fun, but these big ticket items are done for a bit.

I will say that the CH's are now out of my price range because the discount codes on josabank that someone pointed out earlier have stopped working. Such a shame!

As a current derm resident and having been through both med school and residency interviews my advice would be to grab something that you like and can continue to wear. Both sets of interviews are pretty informal and most of the people who are interviewing you can barely dress themselves. There's always something to be said for being dressed well/appropriately, but it's certainly not absolutely necessary to wear black cap toes to med school or residency interviews. Dark brown punch caps with a navy suit would be perfectly fine and as long as they fit well you'll probably be one of the better-dressed people you meet on your interviews. If you like burgundy you may end up being the only person on the interview trail with burgundy shoes and that's not necessarily a bad thing. When I was interviewing I saw plenty of people dressed in pretty atrocious suits with long square-toed Kenneth Cole shoes and most of them ended up where they wanted to be.

In med school I wore tennis shoes if I was wearing scrubs and otherwise always at least some decent shoes, chinos, shirt and tie for clinic and wards. Currently I spend all day in my clinic and have no problems wearing leather-soled shoes all day. The only time I wear tennis shoes is on surgery days when I wear scrubs. My rotation includes full brogues, semibrogues, punch caps, monks, dub monks, suede, shell and calf. I get plenty of compliments on my shoes but can't remember ever having been accused of being overdressed or too flashy. All of that being said, even in a fully clinic-based setting there are plenty of people who wear chinos and boat shoes with no tie and nobody gives them a hard time for it.

 

[jch1]

My MTO order is scheduled to ship today, just three weeks after I placed my order with Allison. Navy (the old style used on the Player's Shoe) suede Strand, single flat JR sole, tone-on stitching, light brown transparent edge.

My next MTO will likely be a combination that AE has never made before...